Improvement in switches for railways



E. KEASBEY.

Improvement in Switches for Railways.

Patented July 16, 18 2..

4M. PIMTO-HTHOGRAP/i/C 00. MY. {0550191153 FAUCESS) UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE;

EDWARD KEASBEY, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY.

v IMPROVEMENT IN SWITCHES FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,962, dated July 16, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

Be itknown thatI, EDWARD KEASBEY, of the city of Perth Amboy, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches or Joints 5 and that the following description, taken in connection with the annexed drawing, forms a full specification of the same.

My invention relates to switches or joints; and the object thereof is to allow the outside rails of two converging tracks to connect without break with the corresponding rail of the single track with which they are to connect when they reach a distance from each other equal to the gauge of the single track, and to dispense with any frog and with all moving of tracks and apparatus for effecting the same.

The construction, operation, and relative arrangement of the component parts of my invention, taken in connection with the drawing, are as follows: I use a single rail, E, of wood, metal, or other hard substance, working on a pivot, P, at or near the point where the inner rails B and G of the two converging tracks A B and O D would meet. The rail E is of such size at the point P where pivoted as on one side to coincide and be continuous with the inner side of the rail B, and on the other side to coincide and be continuous with the inner side of the rail 0. This rail E extends from the point where it is secured, as aforesaid, and gradually tapers until it ends in a point where the outside rails A and D of the two converging tracks A B and G D pass into the single track J K at the points G and H, and is so adjusted on the pivot P as to move fieely and allow its pointed end to adjoin indifi'erently with either of the rails J and K at the points G and H, thus forming a continuous rail or support for car-wheels with either of said rails J or K.

When a train of cars on one of the two converging tracks A B or O D reaches the point where the rail E is secured the wheels on the outer railA or D connecting with the rail J or K will continue their course, while the wheels on the inner rail B or C will pass onto the rail E, and thence, if the rail E is in position to connect with the single track J K, from the rail E to the rail J or K, which the pointed end of the rail E adjoins at G or H. If, when the train of cars reaches the point where the rail E is secured,the rail E is out of position to connect with the single track, the wheels on the outside immovable rail A or D will, since the rail E moves freely on the pivot at P, control and determine the course of the wheels on the inner rail B or O as they pass onto the movable rail E, which by their action will turn the rail E and cause its pointed end to be thrown into position to connect with the single track.

I claim as my invention' The tapering rail E pivoted upon the sleeper at the point P and extending from the ends of the converging rails B G and arranged to operate in connection with the converging rails A D, as herein shown, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 20th day of March, A. D. 1872.

EDWARD KEASBEY.

In presence of- CHARLES G. Con, LOUIS W. Faosr. 

